NAPLAN marker frequently asked questions (FAQs)

All marking of NAPLAN writing test responses takes place remotely using an online marking platform.

Appointed markers must have their own device that meets the technical requirements.

We acknowledge that workload commitments vary. All NAPLAN markers have the flexibility to set their own work hours provided they meet the minimum commitment requirements.

• mark for a minimum of 2 continuous hours on at least 5 days of each week
• attend scheduled meetings during their nominated meeting window (either 4–6 pm or 6–8 pm) each weekday they mark, and as negotiated with their group leader.

These are the minimum requirements. Markers are encouraged to work more hours if able to do so.

Group leaders and professional leaders have different commitment requirements. See the role descriptions for details.

A meeting window is a 2-hour period when markers guarantee their availability for scheduled meetings. Markers are required to attend meetings that are scheduled within their meeting window. Failure to attend a scheduled meeting within the nominated meeting window may result in access to the marking platform being temporarily restricted.

The marker meeting windows are:

• Window A: 4–6 pm
• Window B: 6–8 pm.

Group leaders and professional leaders must be available to attend or run online meetings between 4–8 pm.

Note: Meetings may also be required outside meeting windows and on weekends when you are online or by negotiation. As a marker, you will tell your group leader what times you expect to be available for meetings on weekends.

No. Each weekday you mark, you should login to the NAPLAN Markers app at the start of your meeting window to check for any scheduled meetings. If you don’t have any meetings booked, you are welcome to log off again and complete your daily two hours of marking at a different time.

Yes. At the start of the marking operation, appointed markers will be asked to confirm their availability with their group leader. You can communicate changes to availability at this time.

No. All markers are expected to begin marking from the start of the operation. It is important that marking begins as soon as possible after training, to make sure that all markers remain calibrated.

Marking consistently is important to help you remain calibrated with the marking guide. If you need to take a break from marking for more than three days, please contact the NAPLAN helpdesk by emailing naplan@qcaa.qld.edu.au.

Yes! We understand that not everyone wants to continue marking into the school holidays. While all markers are expected to begin marking from the start date, you are not required to keep marking until the end of the operation.

Once marking has started, you can withdraw from the operation at any time by emailing naplan@qcaa.qld.edu.au.

To withdraw an application before accepting an offer:

1. Log into the QCAA Portal and go to Assessor Jobs.
2. Go to My applications, find your NAPLAN marker application and click Select > View vacancy.
3. In the top right-hand corner, click Withdraw application.

To withdraw from the marking operation after accepting an offer, send an email to naplan@qcaa.qld.edu.au letting us know you need to withdraw.

To mark student responses to the NAPLAN writing test, you must meet the eligibility requirements detailed on the role description, listed under the heading ‘What we are looking for’.

Markers, group leaders and professional leaders who were appointed in the 2026 NAPLAN marking operation will automatically be invited to apply for 2027. The invitation streamlines the application process but does not guarantee an appointment to a role.

New markers, and experienced markers who last marked in 2025 or earlier, can apply through the general vacancy in the Assessor Jobs app in the QCAA Portal.

The NAPLAN marker application in Assessor Jobs includes a section where you can express your interest in the group leader and professional leader roles.

Your application should include evidence of:

• NAPLAN marking experience
• literacy teaching experience or other experience to demonstrate the literacy knowledge required to mark an extended writing task using the NAPLAN writing marking rubric
• leadership experience and skills and/or experience in marking moderation activities.
  Examples of skills that you could provide experience in:
  • communication skills
  • managing difficult conversations
  • mentoring others
  • providing feedback
  • data analysis.

Be clear and explicit when outlining your experience and skills. Use full names for specific school-based programs, not acronyms.

Each year we receive a very large number of applications, in a highly competitive applicant pool. Our commitment to considering all applications individually, on their merit, means that you may not receive an outcome immediately.

The time it takes to process your application depends on:

• the number of applications received
• completeness of the information in your application
• whether you have applied for any leadership roles
• principal authorisation (practising Queensland teachers only).

We send invitations to select past markers in late Term 3 or early Term 4. If you have been sent an invitation, you will receive an email from us letting you know, then an automated email from Assessor Jobs when your invitation is available to view.
To respond to your invitation:

1. login to the QCAA Portal
2. open Assessor Jobs
3. click My invitations
4. locate the NAPLAN marking invitation
5. read the information in the invitation, and check the training dates to make sure you are available at those times
6. submit your response to the question at the bottom of the invitation.
   If you don’t want to mark for the upcoming NAPLAN marking operation:
1. select the option “No, I cannot participate in this Event”
2. select a reason for declining the invitation — if you don’t want to receive NAPLAN marking invitations in the future, you can let us know.
If you do want to mark:
1. check the dates in the invitation and make sure you are available for training and marking at those times
2. select the option “Yes, I can participate in this Event”
3. click Begin application and progress through the steps
4. submit your application.

If you don’t want to mark in the upcoming NAPLAN marking operation, we would greatly appreciate if you could decline the invitation. This helps us respond to all our applicants sooner.

There is a space in the invitation where you can select a reason for declining and share more information if you wish to — if you don’t want to receive any more invitations to future NAPLAN events, you can let us know in your response.

We know that our markers’ availability will change from year to year. Declining an invitation has no impact on any applications you submit in the future.

If it’s been a few years since you marked for NAPLAN, we may stop sending you invitations. This doesn’t mean you will never be offered a position again — it just means you should apply through the usual vacancy process next time you would like to be considered for a marking role.

The NAPLAN Marker — practising Queensland teacher vacancy is for:

• teachers employed by a Queensland school (full-time, part-time or contract)
• teachers permanently employed at a Queensland school who are on leave (e.g. parental leave or long service leave).

The NAPLAN marker — other eligible applicant vacancy is for registered Queensland teachers who are:

• retired
• not currently teaching (e.g. in other employment, or between teaching contracts)
• working on a casual/supply basis.

You can apply online through the Assessor Jobs app (QCAA Portal).

Before you apply:

• Practising Queensland teachers:
  • get verbal authorisation from your principal to mark in the NAPLAN marking operation
  • check that your principal is confirmed in the QCAA Portal so they can authorise the application. See Accessing the QCAA Portal for instructions.
• Other eligible applicants:
  • complete the Introduction to NAPLAN Marking course in the Assessment Literacy app (QCAA Portal). For help with this, see How do I complete the Introduction to NAPLAN Marking course and assessment?

To submit the application:

1. Log in to the QCAA Portal.
2. Open Assessor Jobs.
3. Click Vacancies.
4. Scroll down or type ‘NAPLAN’ into the Position field to find the NAPLAN marker — practising Queensland teacher vacancy or the NAPLAN marker — other eligible applicant vacancy.
5. Click Select next to the relevant vacancy and then Apply for vacancy.
6. Follow the instructions on each page to complete the application.
7. Review and confirm the application details.
8. Click Finish to submit the application. You will receive a confirmation email.

For help choosing the right vacancy, see Which NAPLAN marker vacancy should I apply for?

If the right vacancy does not appear in the list, see I can’t see the right vacancy in the QCAA Portal. What should I do?

Practising Queensland teachers:

1. Click Register for a QCAA Portal account on the QCAA Portal landing page.
2. Follow the instructions to register for an account.

Other eligible applicants:

1. Visit the non-school registration page.
2. Read the QCAA Portal terms of use and click Accept.
3. Enter your details on the Register to access the QCAA Portal page, then click Next.
4. Enter your email address and click Send code. You will receive an email with a verification code.
5. Follow the instructions in the email to complete account registration.

Access to the QCAA Portal may take a few days. You will receive an email when your account is activated.

You can update your information through the My Details app in the QCAA Portal.

To change your email address:

• Under Personal details, click Edit.
• Enter the new Login email and click Save.
• Find the section you want to change and click Edit.
• Update the information and click Save.
• Go to the QCAA employment section to change date of birth details.

To change your personal details:

Need help? See the My Details help guide:

• My Details (PDF, 5.2 MB)

To link your QCAA Portal account with a new school:

Follow the instructions on How to transfer your QCAA Portal account.

Email ClientServices@qcaa.qld.edu.au for help logging in or if the Assessor Jobs application isn’t showing after logging in.

For help choosing the right vacancy, see Which NAPLAN marker vacancy should I apply for?

If you are a practising Queensland teacher, but can only see the other eligible applicant vacancy:

1. Log in to the QCAA Portal.
2. Check that your school is displayed in the top right corner of the screen
3. Click Change organisation and click your school name to select it.
4. Open Assessor Jobs.
5. Click Vacancies.
6. Scroll down or type ‘NAPLAN’ into the Position field. The NAPLAN Marker — Practising Queensland teacher vacancy should now be visible.
7. Click Select then Apply for vacancy.

If your school is not listed, follow the instructions on How to transfer your QCAA Portal account.

If you are an other eligible applicant, but can only see the practising Queensland teacher vacancy:

1. Log in to the QCAA Portal.
2. Check the selected organisation in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Click Change organisation.
4. If available, click QCAA Assessors to select this as your organisation.
5. Open Assessor Jobs.
6. Click the Vacancies tab at the top of the screen.
7. Scroll down or type ‘NAPLAN’ into the Position field. The NAPLAN marker — other eligible applicant vacancy should now be visible.
8. Click Select then Apply for vacancy.

If you do not have access to the QCAA Assessors organisation, or you still can’t see the other eligible applicant vacancy, contact the QCAA Client Services team by emailing ClientServices@qcaa.qld.edu.au.

Other eligible applicants (OEAs) who have not completed the Introduction to NAPLAN Marking course (previously called the NAPLAN Accreditation Course) must successfully complete the course and assessment before applying in Assessor Jobs.

To access the course:

1. Log in to the QCAA Portal and open Assessor Jobs.
2. On the Homepage, scroll down to the heading NAPLAN marker — other eligible applicant.
3. Under this heading, there will be a message stating that you have not completed the requirements for this role. Click the Open Assessment Literacy button underneath this message.
4. Complete the Introduction to NAPLAN Marking course by following the instructions.
5. Once you have completed the course, click the Exit button near the top of the window.
6. Click the Take assessment button to start the assessment. If you cannot find the assessment:
   • Log out then back in to the QCAA Portal.
   • Open the Assessment Literacy application.
   • Scroll down and select the Introduction to NAPLAN Marking course.
   • Click the Take assessment button in the top-right corner to start the assessment.
7. Complete and submit the assessment.

Successful completion of the assessment automatically opens access to the OEA vacancy in Assessor Jobs.

Note: The course has course content and a separate assessment component. After completing the course, you need to go back and click on the assessment link. If you get an error message stating that you have not completed the course, you may not have submitted the assessment component. Follow Step 6 above to access the assessment.

If you are appointed as a marker, group leader or professional leader, you will need to attend a combination of self-paced online courses and live training before you are eligible to mark student responses. Training is paid at the relevant hourly rate detailed in the role description. You must complete all components of training by the due dates to mark student responses in the live marking operation.

A copy of the training schedule will be included with your letter of offer, if your application is successful. Check the training schedule carefully before accepting your offer, to make sure you are available to complete all required training.

No. All markers are expected to complete the training at the same time, as per the training schedule. If you have already accepted an offer to mark and know you will not be able to complete the training, please advise the QCAA by emailing naplan@qcaa.qld.edu.au.